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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. drill — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com